On Cats and Generous Neighbors

The neighbors’ apple tree branches bent to the pressure of an abundant season. Generosity rooted in their harvest spread to our side of the fence. Handpicked and bagged- Jonagolds grown to a pleasant median: sweet and tart, were brought to us last week. 

Photo-bombing cat Oscar plays a central role in neighborly generosity. Our cat is a frequent diner, seated nightly at our apple-bearing friends’ homed and homeless kitty feeding bar. He prefers cat chow to fruit.

We suspect he claims a seat at other such cat food stations throughout the neighborhood. We suspect also that our Oscar has as many names as he has seats at the table, each accorded by each neighbor’s inclination.

So if we were to call out to him as, say, Rangly Roscoe Slenderbelly, Slim Meowman, or Jack Sprat the Kitty Cat–any appellation suitable for a spindly tabby cat wearing a Dreamsicle fur tuxedo–he would come running.

Our apple-bearing neighbors referred to Oscar as Tigger. That is, until the jig was up. They had him figured as a friendly feral. “He’s ours,” we laughed after they related the name they gave him as he helped himself to their kibble. “His name is Oscar.”

And now we are helping ourselves to their apples–unprocessed, all-natural fruit kibble–grateful for generous neighbors to both humans and feline friends alike. 

The look on Oscar’s face here seems to say, “Meow approve.”

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